Monday, October 4, 2010

A draft report for the first time develops a water budget for aquifers along the main stem of the Ventura River and outlines an approach for the development of a Groundwater Management Plan.

At the August meeting of the Ventura River Watershed Council, a presentation was given on a draft report titled "Groundwater Budget and Approach to a Groundwater Management Plan - Upper and Lower Ventura River Basin."

This graphic illustrates the important role that groundwater plays in the water cycle. The study compiles data from several sources to quantify the inputs and outputs in the upper and lower Ventura River Basin.

The (draft) report indicates that the overdraft of water from these two groundwater basins in the Ventura River amounts to over 5,000 acre-feet per year. (Note that this study does not include the Ojai Groundwater Basin, for which separate studies are underway.)

The report goes on to make recommendations as to how to develop a groundwater management plan:

Develop a groundwater model of the Subbasins to improve estimation of the groundwater budget

Obtain data from VRWHM that is more specific to the areas of the Subbasins

Recent reports indicate that groundwater supplies in California and around the world are being unsustainably depleted. "...nearly 80 percent of the world’s population lives in areas where the fresh water supply isn’t secure. And while industrialized nations have made massive investments in infrastructure to keep the faucets flowing, those projects have taken a toll on the environment." "...governments should to invest in water management strategies that combine infrastructure with “natural” options such as safeguarding watersheds, wetlands and flood plains. [BBC News]"

Paul Jenkin is the Ventura Campaign Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation, and founder of the Matilija Coalition. The Surfrider Foundation is an international environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the world’s waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research, and education (CARE).
Since 1994, Paul has worked to restore the coast and watershed where he lives, in Ventura, California.